BIRD LIFE IN WASHINGTON 
35 
at last I found out how to watch. He is 
a happy fellow and sings while he works. 
A quick flutter of wings away from a 
thick clump of leaves, and another quick 
flutter towards it, often indicate that 
mother bird is being relieved from duty. 
Now, just give Mr. Warbling Vireo time 
to get settled and he’ll sing upon the nest 
as gaily as when he is playing a game of 
flutter and dash through the trees. 
Shake the limb very gently and a little 
gray head will appear above the nest. 
The white line over the eve will show con- 
i/ 
spicuously and thus helps you to indenti- 
fv him. 
Be quiet again and he'll sink back into 
the nest and sing again: “Ptwether, 
pwether, leether,” to the little wife who 
is hopping over the leaves after insects 
and insect eggs. 
RED EYED VIREO 
My favorite vireo is Red Eye. I used 
to go to his haunts day after day to listen 
to his “Sweet, sweet, sweet Marie, Ma-rie, 
here dearie, tweedle dee," interspersed 
with “Spirit, come here." 
The ash, cotton wood and alder formed 
a roof for the slough; the carpet was 
made of Hedge Nettle and Skunk Cab¬ 
bage bordered with Spireae and Syringa. 
Each day, as I approached, his voice 
rose clear and commanding in the dis¬ 
tance; nearer and nearer he came until lie 
